


when morning breaks

by Wind_Writes



Category: The Witcher (TV), Wiedźmin | The Witcher - All Media Types, Wiedźmin | The Witcher Series - Andrzej Sapkowski
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Established Relationship, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Light Angst, Morning After, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-17
Updated: 2020-01-17
Packaged: 2021-02-27 10:48:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,729
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22295815
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wind_Writes/pseuds/Wind_Writes
Summary: All too often he found the spot beside him empty, sheets cool to the touch and only the lingering scent of perfume left to comfort him. It was a rare, but pleasant, surprise to see her curled amongst the sheets, a contented flush gracing her cheeks and he couldn’t stifle the grin the graced his lips.
Relationships: Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia/Yennefer z Vengerbergu | Yennefer of Vengerberg
Comments: 10
Kudos: 124





	when morning breaks

The fragrance of lilac and gooseberry lingered in the air as the sun rose above the mountain tops and painted the sky an unearthly pink. Birds sang along with the day to come and Geralt shifted in bed, reaching for a woman he assumed would be long gone, surprised when his hand brushed warm flesh.

Surprised, Geralt’s vision strained against the morning glow and focused on the still sleeping Yennefer, her features unsarcastically relaxed. All too often he found the spot beside him empty, sheets cool to the touch and only the lingering scent of perfume left to comfort him. It was a rare, but pleasant, surprise to see her curled amongst the sheets, a contented flush gracing her cheeks and he couldn’t stifle the grin the graced his lips. Though Geralt yearned to kiss her awake, to see those beautiful violet eyes first thing in the morning, he couldn’t bring himself to wake her, not just yet.

Nights together had been few and far between, mornings even less so, and this was a rare moment of peace between the two of them that Geralt wanted to savor as long as he could. Outside the walls of their room were responsibilities and war, politics and power, obligations and destiny pulling at both of them and it wouldn’t be long before Geralt would head one direction and Yennefer another.

“Will you stop.”

“Stop what”, Geralt murmured. His gaze trailed lazily up the length of Yennefer’s body, taking time to appreciate every dip and curve of her form before settling back on her face. Though her eyes were still closed, the serenity that sleep had given her was gone. 

Movements fogged by slumber, Yennefer nestled herself deeper into the mattress. She could feel Geralt watching her and the sensation made her skin itch. The two of them had been at this routine for years; finding each other even in the most random of circumstances and falling together as if nothing had changed from the last time. The tangled sheets and discarded clothing was nothing Yennefer was ashamed of, knowing their relationship ran deeper than that, but waking up beside Geralt carried another layer of intimacy that left her with the feeling of walking on unstable ground.

Yennefer peaked at Geralt through hooded lids, her mouth turned up at the corners when she met his golden gaze. “Staring at me.”

“Can’t help it.” Geralt shifted beside Yennefer and pulled her closer, his lips leaving a trail of kisses along her bare shoulder. “It’s not often I find you still in my bed when the sun rises.”

Not ready to face the music of the morning, Yennefer buried her face against Geralt’s chest. The steady beat of his heart and the warmth she felt as he wrapped his arms around her left Yennefer feeling safe, content even; both emotions felt foreign, but nevertheless she found herself enjoying the feeling. She couldn’t begin to predict the next time they would have a moment like this and Yennefer meant to savor what she could. 

“Would you prefer that I leave?” Yennefer teased.

“Never,” he whispered against her skin.

Geralt’s pulse hummed steadily at the feel of Yennefer’s soft skin beneath his calloused touch. Her skin against his was a sensation he loved more than anything, one that he didn’t think he would ever tire of and something he dreaded to lose. More than he would care to admit, Geralt found himself craving the feel of her beneath him, the need so deep that he ached, and it was only once she was beside him that he was satisfied.

“How much time?” She murmured, her words almost lost against him.

Fingers tangled in her long locks, Geralt hummed with satisfaction as Yennefer ran her fingers up his side, the attention leaving a trail of goosebumps along his skin. “We have a little yet, the sun is just rising.”

“Can’t have you wasting too much time.” Yennefer kissed a line across his chest and slowly brought her eyes up to meet his. “Would hate for you to keep Jaskier waiting.”

A deep chuckle vibrated in Geralt’s chest, that last person he expected to be mentioned first thing in the morning was Jaskier. Leaving a lingering kiss on Yennefer’s lips, Geralt nuzzled his nose against hers and let himself get lost in her scent. “I’m sure he’s found someone to entertain his time.”

“I have no doubt you’re right,” Yennefer lamented. As infuriating as she found the barb, the man never seemed to struggle to find a woman to grace his bedchamber when he caught the itch. While she never saw the appeal, if some trollop from the local tavern kept the annoying man out of her hair and gave her and Geralt their own, uninterrupted time, Yennefer figured she’d owe the girl a coin or two as thanks.

“And then where,” Yennefer purred against Geralt’s lips, knowing full well that the man beside her wouldn’t utter a word, but wanting to test her luck all the same..

Irritated, Geralt grunted and rolled onto his back, the moment between the two of them lost for the sake of what was to come next. He should have known she’d start asking questions, she always did. There was nothing to hide about where he planned to travel, his movements strictly dictated by the money to be earned, but something about not divulging everything gave Geralt a sense of security. Or perhaps it wasn’t security, but the satisfaction of having a secret or two of his own that Yennefer hadn’t worked out of him yet. 

Rising to rest on her elbows, Yennefer looked on and smiled as he continued to glower at the ceiling. “Always so secretive.”

“You could come with us this time.”

Geralt cussed under his breath as soon as he realized what he’d uttered. No matter how hard he tried, when it came to Yennefer, he found himself saying things that he wouldn’t have dared said to another. This wasn’t the first time he found himself wanting Yennefer to come along with him, but it was the first time he’d voiced that want out loud and he feared the fall out of his words. 

Yennefer sat upright in bed and gathered the sheet to cover her bare frame, her stomach feeling as if it had dropped to her toes. Of all the things she’d expected the man to offer, joining him as he galvanted around the content with no set plan of action had not been it. “Don’t start that.”

Unable to take the words back and irked by Yennefer’s quick refusal, Geralt pushed the issue. “Start what?”

“Spouting off ideas that aren’t possible,” Yennefer snapped.

She didn’t dare look at Geralt, afraid of what she’d see in his eyes, but the grunt of aggravation and shifting told Yennefer that he was less than thrilled with her.

“You know as well as I do that it wouldn’t work right now,” Yennefer spoke through gritted teeth, doing her best to calm the temper that was starting to bubble. There were things that she needed to see to, wrongs that she needed to right and Geralt throwing in an offer like that, out of the blue, was testing her devotion to the path she was determined to walk.

Geralt watched his partner out of the corner of his eye, the rigid set of her shoulders telling him that he’d hit a nerve. It was obvious that Yennefer was searching for some unspoken thing, something she didn’t dare share with him, but Geralt could see his offer had switched something, causing her to consider a different avenue.

Trying a softer route, Geralt ran a hand down her exposed back, his voice low. “I know you’ve thought about it more than once.”

“Perhaps.” Tossing her hair over one shoulder, Yennefer shook off Geralt’s touch and moved towards the edge of the bed, a hushed hiss escaping her lips as her feet met the cold floor. “But it was fleeting.”

Geralt didn’t miss the forced flippancy in Yennefer’s voice or the way she refused to meet his gaze. The dark haired beauty could hide a lot of things, but her true feelings for Geralt had never been one of them. There was no mistaking the wistful look that had flickered across Yennefer’s features at Geralt’s suggestion and despite the big game she talked, the witcher knew where her heart truly lies. 

Reaching across the bed to stop her departure, Geralt waited a heartbeat for the sorceresses to meet his gaze. “You’re full of shit, Yen.”

Yennefer sighed, knowing full well that Geralt would see through any excuse she tried to make. She supposed that was why the two of them had worked as well as they did; no hidden meanings in what they claimed to feel for each other or shadows of doubt about where each of them sat in the other’s life. They were unapologetically candid, brutally critical, and completely devoted despite the odds.

“I’ll take the time we get now and be satisfied with that.” Yennefer trailed a finger along Geralt’s jaw and left a lingering kiss on his lips before detangling herself from his grasp and slipping from the bed; she was too old to be hanging onto an empty maybe this time and long lost someday. What they had was all the fates would allow and she had to be content with that. “I don’t dare ask for anything more.”

Resigned, Geralt settled back against the downy pillow and watched; a smart man would have gotten dressed and left, leaving Yennefer to her morning routine in peace, but Geralt had never claimed to be smart. His golden eyes drank in her hair as it cascaded down her back, the way her hips swayed when she moved to stand behind the changing screen, and his lips curled at the edges when Yennefer peaked around the screen again to give him a disapproving look; a look that said it was time for them to part.

He wanted to savor every last moment with her, enjoying the lingering smell of her perfume on the pillow and the warmth of the sheets she’d just left. All Geralt had were these moments and he could only hope the images of their early morning would stay with him until they were able to meet again.

  
  


**Author's Note:**

> This is placed sometime between their first meeting and their last encounter prior to the battle of Sodden. It's a little fluff, a little angst, and a whole lot of doesn't fit into the book or video games. It's just me playing around with their relationship and filling in the spaces the show left for interpretation. And I wanted more Geralt x Yen.


End file.
